Apparatus for fabricating fluid couplings



March 1944- G. R. PENNIN'GTON APPARATUS FOR FAB RICATING FLUID COUPLING Original Filed May 12, 1941 INVENTOR E 7222272225201 ATi'oRNEY .m 7/ //////-AW E v f \\\\\E@ in Patented Mar. 28, 1944 APPARATUS FOR FABRICATING FLUID COUPLINGS Gordon R. Pennington, Bloomfield Hills, Micln, assignor to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich, a corporation of Delaware May 12, 1941, Serial No.

Orgiginal application 393,057. Divided and this application October 20. 1941, Serial No. 415,712

4 Claims.

This invention relates to fluid drive-transmia sion and refers more particularly to improvements in apparatus for manufacture of fluid coupling structures.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 393,057, filed May 12, 1941.

One object of my invention is to provide an improved apparatus for fabricating a fluid coupling structure particularly in connection with the assembly of the coupling varies between inner and outer supports.

Another object is to provide improved apparatus for use in fabricating a fluid coupling structure preparatory to welding or brazing the component assembled parts.

Another object is to provide improved apparatus for fabricating fluid coupling structures having warped vane portions.

A further object is to provide an apparatus for the manufacture of a coupling structure having its vanes under constant stress, preferably compressive between their supports.

Further objects and advantages of my invention willrbe more apparent as this specification progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevational view of a power transmitting system, parts being broken away to illustrate the fluid coupling.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevational view of apparatus for the assembly of the coupling structure and illustrating the initial steps in the fabrication of such structure.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional plan view taken as indicated by line 3-3 of Fi 2.

Fig. 4 is a view of a portion of the Fig. 2 apparatus shown in another position and illustrating further step in the fabrication method.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic sectional elevational view illustrating the hydrogen brazing apparatus.

Referring to the drawing, I have illustrated a portion of a motor vehicle drive system generally similar to that forming the subject of the copending application of Carl Breer and myself, Serial No. 390,302, filed April 25, 1941, wherein engine A transmits its drive through fluid coupling B and thence through transmission C to the usual propeller shaft I0. As more particularly set forth in said copending application, the coupling B is of the multi-stage type having coaxial relatively rotatable vaned impeller structure I I and vaned primary and secondary runner structures I2 and I3 respectively. At times the runner I2 drives transmission C through torque multiplying gearing I4 and at other times during normal cruising the structures II, I2 and I3 rotate in unison except for a small amount of slip inherent in such devices.

The runner I2 is of the type in which its vanes I5 define passages therebetween which are open axially in opposite directions toward structures II and I3. With such runners there is considerable difficulty in fabricating the vanes and in assembling the same with the outer and inner vane-connected vane-carriers or annuli I6 and I1, respectively, especially in making a resulting assembly which has the desired rigidity to maintain its form and balance during opera tion.

Referring to Fig. 2, I provide an assembly apparatus comprising a main fixed support table D having a fixture I8 shouldered at I9 to locate the hub 29 thereon, this hub carrying the inner annulus II. Carried by the table, either integrally or by separate fixture, are the upstanding fingers 2I spaced circumferentially around the table to receive the outer end portions 22 of vanes I5 in the desired relatively spaced positions. The inner end portions 23 are preferably warped relative to portions 22 and terminate in contact with annulus H.

In the initial fabrication, the operator places hub 20 in the Fig. 2 position and inserts vanes I5 between the spaces of fingers 2| as in Fig. 3, the vanes being supported horizontally by the upper face of table D. Then clamp ring E is applied downwardly, this ring being formed in a plurality of segments connected by circumferential clearance, as at 24, Fig. 3, with the component parts contracted radially by annular tension springs 25. The inner face of ring E adjacent its bottom edge is cut-back or bevelled at '26 so that it will not jam with the vanes I5 and to assist in guiding the ring into position exerting radial inward compression on the vanes. The arrangement is such that predetermined pressure is applied to each vane, as from 5 to 15 pounds as desired.

The ring E is forced down by any suitable power device, such as the ram E, preferably acting through the'outer annulus I6 which seats in an annular locating shoulder 21 of ring E. The ring I6 has its inner bottom edge bevelled at 28 for functioning in a manner similar to th bevel 26. This ring I6 is preferably of slightly less diameter than ring E when the latter is in the Fig. 2 position so that ring I6 exerts a further radial compression on vanes I5 when ring I6 is forced downward into its final position of Fig. 4. At this time the ring ring I1 and vanes I to move the assembled runner I2 clear of table D as indicated in Fig. 4.

To restore piston F ready for the assembly of another runner, valve 3I is closed and the relief valve 32 is opened to'all'ow the pressure fluid in chamber 30 to escape. Any fluid escaping upwardly beyond piston F drains oil at passage 33. 1

The ring E and springs 25 are arranged so that on assembly of this ring as in Fig. 2, all slack in the vanes I5 is taken up and a predetermined radial compression of the order of 5 to pounds by way of example is put on each vane. When the ring I6 is assembled, an additional radial pressure is imposed on the vanes sufficient to compensate for any production variations and to insure engagement of all vanes with ring [6. From two to eight thousandths of an inch on the inside diameter of ring I 6 less than the diameter of ring E when in the Fig. 2 position should ordinarily be adequate. The rings E and I6 therefore exert progressive or stage pressures on vanes I5 and in the final assembly of the runner I2 of the vanes I5 are under compression. The warped vane portions 23, apart from improvingthe efiiciency of the coupling as set forth in said copending application, serve to .impart rigidity to the vanes.

' After removal of the assembled runner from table D, the assemblies are preferably hydrogen brazed or welded according to well known commercial methods. In Fig, 5 I have diagrammatically illustrated the runners I2 travelling slowly on the continuous belt 34 while subjected to the usual hot atmosphere of hydrogen at 35 for causing the vanes I5 to fuse with rings I6 and I1 by reason of copper previously applied at these points. This process is well known and need not be set forth in detail herein.

If desired, the-ring I! may be forced into position instead of ring I6 by the same assembly steps, in which case the ring I5 will,- of course, be first installed on table D and rings E and I! will be arranged to act expansively as will be obvious. 7

Because of the relatively high temperature ordinarily, used for commercial hydrogen brazing, around 2100 F. where copper flux is employed, the compressive stress applied to vanes I5 to hold them in position for the brazing process will largely disappear when the brazed assembly is allowed to cool but sufiicient compressive stress will remain in the final assembly to supplement the brazed attachment of the vanes to the rings I2 and I I so as to assist in holding the vanes and rings against relative displacement. The extent of final or residual stress in the vanes may, of course, be varied to some extent by the amount of initial stress applied to the vanes.

Iclaim:

1. Apparatus for fabricating a multi-vaned rotatable fiuid power-transmitting structure of the type having a pair of vane-connected carriers disposed in relatively spaced relation one within the other, comprising, a support structure, means carried by said support structure for receiving one of said carriers in fixed position, means for locating said vanes in circumferentially spaced relation with respect to each other with one end ofsa'id vanes generally radiating from said one carrier, a yielding annulus structure adapted to engage said radiating ends of said vanes for stressing the vanes in a direction toward said one carrier, and means for coincidentally displacing said yielding annulus structure from said radiating vane ends and applying the other of said carriers'into position concentrically with respect to said one carrier while maintaining said vanes stressed by said yielding annulus structure.

2. Apparatus for fabricating a multi-vaned rotatable fluid power-transmitting structure of the type having a pair of vane-connected carriers disposed in relatively spaced relation one within the other, comprising, a support structure, means carried by said support structure for receiving one of said carriers in fixed position, means for locating said vanes in circumferentially spaced relation with respect to each other with one end of said vanes generally radiating from said one carrier, a yielding annulus structure adapted to engage said radiating ends of said vanes for stressing the vanes in a direction toward said one carrier, and means for applying the other of said carriers axially of said power-transmitting structure into position concentrically with respect to said one carrier, said yielding annulus structure being adapted to receive thrust from said applying means through said other carrier suchthat the latter acts on said yielding annulus structure to displace this structure axially from engage ment with said radiating vane endsduring said positioning of said other carrier.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, said yielding annulus structure has a vane-engaging portion thereof bevelled to facilitate stressproducing engagement of this structure with said vanes. 1

4. Apparatus for fabricating a multi-vaned rotatable fluid power-transmitting structure of the type having a pair of vane-connected carriers disposed-in relatively spaced relation one within the other, comprising, a support structure, means carried by said support structure for receiving one of said carriers in fixed position, a plurality of relatively spaced circumferentially disposed fingers projecting from said support structure into position concentric with respect to said one carrier, said fingers being so spaced apart as to receive therebetween one of said vanes with an end of each vane engaged with said one carrier, a

7 yielding annulus structure having a seat for receiving theother of said carriers in thrust-transmitting relation, and means comprising a plunger adapted to have a stroke for applying said other carrier into position concentrically with said one carrier and engaging the opposite ends of said vanes under compressive stress-application thereto, said yielding annulus structure being so disposed, relative to said plunger and said other carrier, such thatthis carrier acts, during said plunger stroke, to displace said yielding annulus structure first into a position for radially stressing said vanes and then into a position free from said vanes.

GORDON R. PENNINGTON.- 

